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J&H McLaren manufactured traction engines, stationary engines and later, diesel engines in Hunslet, Leeds, England. The company also built a Diesel-engined (road) tractor in the 1940. ]] Steam Engines The company was founded in 1876 by John and Henry McLaren. They had both been apprenticed to Black, Hawthorn & Co of Gateshead, builders of railway locomotive and marine engines. The new Midland Engine Works was situated on Jack Lane in Hunslet, Leeds within sight of many of the great engineering companies of Leeds, e.g. Hudswell Clarke, Hunslet Engine Co., Manning Wardle, John Fowler & Co. and Kitson & Co. The company rapidly developed a range of traction engines, road rollers, ploughing engines, agricultural implements and stationary engines. One of their forgotten achievements is the invention (see British Patent 763 of 1880) of the traction-centre engine, for driving steam-powered fairground roundabouts. This is often wrongly attributed to Savage of King's Lynn. In the 1890s McLarens developed a range of vertical triple-expansion engines for the new industry of electricity generation. The zenith of this effort was a pair of 3000 i.h.p. engines for Leeds Corporation’s Whitehall Road Power Station. After the turn of the century, the company introduced a tractor for direct haulage and a range of powerful direct ploughing engines. The largest of these, rated 125 i.h.p, was fitted with superheater, feedwater heater and fully lagged cylinders. This provided a very efficient engine, which won many awards both at home and abroad. Other minor products were, showman engines, crane engines, portable engines, railway locomotives and Darby Diggers. McLarens had a good overseas market with over 50% of goods exported. They had local offices in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and South America with smaller representation in Hungary, Germany and Italy. The last of the traction engines was exported to South Africa in 1938 and is preserved in Johannesburg. Steam Engine Model Range * Stationary engines (Portable Engines) * Traction engines * Ploughing engines Preserved Steam Engines * Several Machines are preserved overseas, due to popularity in export markets. * The Last machine built was exported to South Africa, and is preserved in Johannesburg * A Pair of Fowler ploughing engines were converted to diesel power by J&H McLaren for use on Dredging works. - (see Fowler list for details) Please add any more known machine details to the Table below Diesel Engines During the First World War, McLarens inevitably became involved in the war effort. The works were particularly noted for producing a collet chuck for holding shells during turning. For his efforts during the war, John McLaren was knighted, but unfortunately his reward was short lived, for he died in 1920. After the First World War, McLarens built a cable-ploughing windlass, initially powered by a Dorman petrol engine but a diesel engine was sought. In 1926 the company entered into an agreement with the German Company Benz to manufacture diesel engines. These were the first automotive type diesel engines produced in volume in Britain, and as a result were in the forefront of the use of diesel engines for road, rail, and agricultural purposes. Examples include the first diesel powered railway locomotive, built by Hudswell Clarke in Leeds and powered by a McLaren built diesel. The first diesel powered commercial vehicles in Britain were made by Richard Garrett & Sons of Leiston in 1928, and Kerr Stuart of Stoke-on-Trent, again powered by McLaren-built diesels. In addition, McLarens built Britain's first diesel powered road roller in 1927 using their own engine. A complete range of diesel engines was designed up to around and these were very widely used for industrial applications, one particularly successful use was in standby power sets. In 1943, the business was sold by the family to the Associated British Oil Engine Company and this was initially very successful. A major contract with the USSR for diesel-generator sets resulted in the number of employees increasing tenfold and new buildings acquired. In December 1945, McLaren tool over the remains of Kitson & Co. and with it their Airedale Works. Unfortunately these glory years did not last. In 1957, the take over of the Brush A.B.O.E. Group by Hawker Siddeley saw the Leeds production facility fade away and the main works closed in January 1959. McLaren Motor Ploughing Windlass was a stationary ploughing engine, consisting of a large petrol-paraffin engine of 40 hp mounted on a steel chassis, with 4 steel wheels for transport. A large winch drum was vertically mounted at the back, fitted with 400yds of cable. They were used in pairs sited at each side of the field, with a balance plough pulled between them across the field. Diesel Engine Models Diesel heavy haulage tractor A one-off diesel-engined heavy haulage tractor was built in 1940 by McLaren's.A Source Book of Commercial Vehicle, by The Olyslarger Organisation, pub by Octopus Books, ISBN 978-0-7537-1728-0 The vehicle was hybrid of steam & 'modern technology with an unconventional lay out. A 'truck' type cab on a chassis with mid mounted McLaren Diesel Engine of 95 bhp driving solid Steam type rear wheels, and fitted with a ballast box. References / sources * Classic Farm Tractors by Michael Williams * Showman's Road Locomotives by the NTEC External links *Steam rally photos Category:Companies of the United Kingdom Category:Defunct companies of the United Kingdom Category:Engine manufacturers of the United Kingdom Category:Tractor manufacturers of the United Kingdom Category:Agricultural machinery Category:Steam machinery manufacturers Category:Steam engines Category:Traction engines Category:Ploughing engines Category:J&H McLaren Category:Companies founded in 1876 Category:1943 mergers Category:Companies of the United Kingdom